Following a season-opening tournament in Florida, Penn State women’s volleyball will take the court in Rec Hall this weekend for the first time this fall.

The No. 17 Nittany Lions (2-1) are off to a solid start after initially dropping their debut match against then-No. 24 Georgia Tech. Two solid wins over St. John’s and UCF have Penn State on the right track following a shaky start.

The team’s 3-1 loss to Georgia Tech didn’t shock head coach Russ Rose, who felt some players were understandably tense while working through some first-match jitters. He says a return home could be just what the doctor ordered.

“I think the players always appreciate the opportunity to play at home and have fans and family members come out and watch, so I think that’s a real positive thing,” Rose said Tuesday. “It should make the players a little more relaxed. I thought a couple kids were tight, how they played. Hopefully, that’s just getting their first-match jitters out of the way and not in their DNA.”

Georgia Tech’s triumph was largely fueled by Penn State service errors. The Nittany Lions coughed up 18 points through their own service errors — a sharp contrast to the Yellow Jackets’ eight.

Fortunately, Rose believes playing in a more comfortable environment could curb Penn State’s struggles at the service line.

“Some people, their serving should be more tactical than velocity-driven, so I think it’s players getting a little more comfortable,” he said. “That’s key for us to get in the gym and just get comfortable serving there and passing there, because those two skills are so highly correlated with success.”

Rose isn’t the only Penn Stater itching to return to Rec Hall. Senior setter Gabby Blossom says the team’s been waiting for such an occasion since nearly two years ago — far beyond when COVID-19 was anyone’s concern.

“We talk about it all the time. We have the best fans in the country,” Blossom said. “We love them. We get to know them. They become part of our experience at Penn State, and we’re just so pumped. We keep telling all the new people how exciting it is, but until you’re there and you see the band and all the fans and everything, nothing compares to it. It makes Penn State so special.”

Penn State anticipates a full-capacity crowd throughout this weekend’s Penn State Classic tournament, including appearances from the Nittany Lions’ pep band and cheer squads. University policy will still require fans to wear masks indoors, though.

Defensive specialist Jenna Hampton, a fellow senior, says getting fans back in Rec Hall will be a huge boost for the Nittany Lions, who haven’t played in front of a full crowd in nearly two years. Hampton, a Florida native, got a brief taste of normalcy when playing in front of friends and family down in UCF last week, but that’s a far cry from Penn State’s usual

“[Playing in Florida] gave us a little bit of what an atmosphere can look like, but I’m excited to have everyone in Rec Hall and see everyone again,” she said.

Fans aren’t the only folks returning to Rec Hall this weekend, though. Penn State will welcome alumni Micha Hancock and Haleigh Washington, who are both fresh off helping Team USA win its first-ever gold medal at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics.

The pair will be honored following Friday night’s second set. They’ll also surely visit practices and speak with the team ahead of the Nittany Lions’ big weekend.

“It’s great to have any of the alumnae talk to the players, but certainly these two can elaborate on different things because of their experiences collegiately, professionally, and internationally,” Rose said. “I communicate with them already, so it’s not like we’ve been estranged. I’m happy that they’ll have an opportunity to come back, albeit a quick visit.”

Hancock and Washington both played at Penn State far before Blossom and Hampton were among the Nittany Lions’ top stars, but the legacy they left isn’t lost on the current roster. Hancock still holds Penn State’s all-time service ace record, and both players won a national title with Rose in 2014.

“We never got to play with them, obviously, but we hear so many stories about them and the coach always talks about them and how great they were,” Blossom said. “It’s definitely going to be exciting.”

Hampton even said Hancock and Washington’s visit might be the “coolest thing ever.”

“I’m, like, nervous to see them. I’m so excited,” Hampton said. “They’re like superstars to me.”

Penn State’s season continues when it hosts Iowa State at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 3. The Nittany Lions will face Oregon State and LSU at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, respectively.